Pin protector



Jan. 21, 1969 L. KLIER ET L PIN PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 5, 1967 FIG! FlG.4

INVENTORS. L EWIS KLIE R STEPHEN s. SIMOVITS. JR. FM 0 wwaam.

FIGS

ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrically insulating pin protector comprising a body of insulating material formed to fit over, cover and protect, the pins of a television picture tube, said pin protector including a portion arranged to grip the sides of the keyway of the television picture tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of invention This invention relates to pin protectors for electron tubes; the precise Patent Ofiice classification of related devices is not known.

Description of the prior art The known prior art comprises pin protectors for electron tubes comprising an insulating body having holes for receiving the pins. The pin protector is arranged such that when the pins are inserted in the holes the pin protector is maintained in position through gripping or holding onto the pins.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Applicants pin protector comprises a body of insulating material having a plurality of apertures formed therein for receiving the pins of a television picture tube. The protector further includes a keyway slot and an extending slit or C-shaped cylinder in cross section. The ends of or tips of the C-shape are dimensioned such as to bear against or frictionally engage the sides of the keyway to securely hold the pin protector onto the television picture tube. The pin receiving holes are of sufficiently large dimension, so that the pins do not engage or bear against the sides of the pin holes. Hence, the pins are not subject to being bent or broken.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pin protector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pin protector of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the reverse side, relative to FIG. 2, of the pin protector of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the pin protector of the invention with a portion shown in cross section, as taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the pin protector of the invention showing in dot-dash lines the outline of an associated tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the pin protector 11 embodying the present invention is molded of a suitable plastic material having high insulating characteristics and referably of a material which is of substantial strength but which possesses a definite amount of resiliency.

The pin protector 11 embodying the present invention may be produced in various sizes for use with different types of tubes. For convenience and clarity, the pin protector of the embodiment as represented in FIG. 1 of the drawings is shown to a scale of about actual size.

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The pin protector 11 may be formed as an integral unitary article and comprises a first or base portion 13 of generally cylindrical shape. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the base 13 includes a central socket-receiving aperture 12 including a keyway or slot 14 for receiving the key portion 10 of the associated picture tube socket indicated by the dot-dash lines in FIG. 5. As is known, the key 10 of the associated tube socket protrudes from the sides of the socket essentially as a ridge along the length of the socket, and the key 10 is normally rectangular in cross section.

Also, a plurality of apertures 15 are spaced in a circle on the base 13 for receiving the pins, not shown, of the associated picture tube, see also FIG. 5. In the embodiment shown, the outside surface of the pin receiving portion 15 has a scalloped configuration and provides an ornamental design for the pin protector.

The ends of the apertures 15 are flared as at 17 to provide an aligning guideway for the pins being received into the apertures. Any pins which are slightly bent will be guided by the tapered sides of the opening 17 to conform to the relatively more narrow pin receiving apertures 15. Note that the pin receiving and pin protecting portion 19 extends from the base 13 and fully encloses the pins of the picture tube.

The pin protector 11 includes a high voltage pin receiving section 20 which includes an aperture 21 for receiving and insulating the high voltage pin of the television picture tube as is known in the art.

The pin protector 11 includes a tube socket receiving portion 22 which extends outwardly from the base 13 in the form of a split or C-shaped cylinder or sleeve. The tube socket receiving portion 22 is tapered to a slightly smaller diameter at its free end. The tips of the slit or C-shaped cylinder are labeled 23 and function to hold the pin protector 11 in position on the picture tube as will be explained hereinbelow.

As is known, the keyway 14 enables the alignment of the pin protector 11 on the keyway formed in the socket of the television picture tube. As the keyway 14 is guided onto the key of the picture tube socket, the pin protector 11 will be adjusted such that its receiving apertures 15 are aligned to receive the pins of the associated picture tube.

The sleeve 22 is arranged to have the tips of its C-shape 23 spaced apart slightly less (in one embodiment about .05 inch less) than the width of the key of the associated picture tube, see FIG. 2. The tips 23 may be slightly tapered in a radial direction if necessary to better conform to the side surface of the key of the associated tube. Note also that to permit a smooth entry of the tips 23 on the key, the section of the tips 23A nearest the base are tapered outwardly, see FIG. 3, to be spaced apart a distance slightly larger than the width of the key. Accordingly, as the pin protector 11 is pushed onto or slipped on the key of the associated tube the tips 23 of the sleeve 22 tend to be spread apart by the sides of the key and the sides 23 of sleeve 22 frictionally engage and hold onto the sides of the key. Thus, the pin protector 11 is held on the tube socket by means of the cooperation of the key and the sleeve 23. Note that the pin protector 11 does not grip or hold on to the pins of the picture tube. In contrast to the present invention, prior art keyway slots functioned only to locate the pin protector on the socket of the television picture tube, and the frictional engagement of the tube pins and the pin protector held the pin protector in position.

Since in applicants device the tube pins do not hold the pin protector in position, the invention provides the distinct advantage that no pressure is placed on the pins. This tends to eliminate the problem of pin breakage or breakage of that portion of the tube to which the pins are inserted. A secondary advantage is that applicants pin protector also functions as a pin straightener without placing undue stress on the associated pins.

Applicants pin protector may be placed on the associated tube before the tube is processed in the factory or it maybe used during the shipment and further handling 5 of the tube up to and during installation for operation in a set. When it is desired to remove the pin protector, it may be manually pulled out from the associated socket.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it Will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the in- Vention.

We claim:

1. An electron tube pin protector for mounting on the socket of an associated electron tube, the socket having a key with side surfaces protruding from the sides of the socket, said pin protector comprising an insulating member including a base having a tube socket receiving aperture, a keyway for receiving the key of said socket and a plurality of pin receiving apertures for receiving the pins of the associated electron tube;

a pin protecting portion extending from said base for receiving, and protecting said pins;

a tube socket receiving portion including a C-shaped or split cylinder extending from said base adjacent said pin protecting portion;

said C-shaped cylinder being resilient and having the tips of said C-shape spaced apart; said tips arranged to straddle the socket key to'bear against respective side surfaces of the key, said tips being normally spaced at a distance which is narrower than said key for resiliently and frictionally engaging said key 7 to thereby hold said pin protector in position.

' l 2. A pin protector as in claim 1 wherein said pin protecting portion encloses and does not contact the tube pins.

3. A pin protector as in claim 1 wherein said pin protecting portion extends from said base a distance greater than the portion of said pins inserted into said pin protector and encloses said pins.

4. A pin protector as in claim 2 wherein said base apertures are flared for more easily receiving the tube pins.

5. A pin protector as in claim 1 wherein the spacing of said tips of said C-shaped cylinder is relatively greater adjacent said base and tapers to a lesser spaced distance.

6. A pin protector as in claim 1 wherein said C-shaped cylinder is open at both ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1958 Elwell 339-36 5/1965 Daut et al. 339-66 US. Cl. X.R. 20646 

